Artist, Jeweler, Sculptor and Smith
Repoussé Tools and Techniques

Repoussé

A method of creating a relief design by hammering or pressing the reverse side of a metal surface.
Literal meaning in French, "to push back".

Annealed (softened) sheet metal is supported by pitch, sand or sometimes supported by its edges
and then worked with a variety of tools that depend on the type of metal and its thickness.
Repoussé is done in metals ranging from thin soft copper sheet that can be worked with wooden hand tools up to heavy steel plate worked hot with power tools and machines.

Repousse' is used to create gold and silver jewelry, plate armour, decorative architectural panels or can be pieced together to produce sculpture in the round such as the Statue of Liberty.

Chasing is the same process working from the front of the work often with the same tools.
Small tools for creating decorative textures and patterns are also called chasing tools.